The most complicated way to fix a simple problem
Discussion
You know those problems that take forever to fix but then turn out to have a simple solution?
I had a knocking noise coming from the left rear of the car. To resolve this issue I did the following:
- changed the driveshaft
- changed the wheel bearing
- changed the wishbone bushes
- removed the ARB
- checked the shocks and springs (which were new)
Frustratingly none of these things had any effect. Out of ideas, I chose to the "ignore it and it might go away" solution until a handy-with-spanners mate was in the car. I asked him if he had any ideas. He did.
We got out, walked round the back and he gave the exhaust a shove, knocking it against the bumper with the exact noise that had been haunting me for months. He'd had the same problem on his own car.
So after all that messing about it turned out to be a slightly wayward exhaust, fixed with a £5 strap from Halfords.
Has anybody taken a more convoluted route to finding a simple problem?
I had a knocking noise coming from the left rear of the car. To resolve this issue I did the following:
- changed the driveshaft
- changed the wheel bearing
- changed the wishbone bushes
- removed the ARB
- checked the shocks and springs (which were new)
Frustratingly none of these things had any effect. Out of ideas, I chose to the "ignore it and it might go away" solution until a handy-with-spanners mate was in the car. I asked him if he had any ideas. He did.
We got out, walked round the back and he gave the exhaust a shove, knocking it against the bumper with the exact noise that had been haunting me for months. He'd had the same problem on his own car.
So after all that messing about it turned out to be a slightly wayward exhaust, fixed with a £5 strap from Halfords.
Has anybody taken a more convoluted route to finding a simple problem?
i had a small section of flat roof that was leaking. so i re-felted it and sealed it with lashings of bitumen. it still leaked. so i put more felt on it , several layers in fact. it still leaked.
i told a friend of mine about it. he asked me if it had a cast iron drainpipe going through it, it did and it was rotten at the back. easily repaired.
i told a friend of mine about it. he asked me if it had a cast iron drainpipe going through it, it did and it was rotten at the back. easily repaired.
My 330d suddenly gained a juddery clutch, a quick look underneeth showed coolant dripping from the bellhousing. Inspected everywhere for leak, couldn't find it (there isn't much access down the back of the block to see tbh). Looked at parts diagram, it shows a coreplug on the back of the block, assumed it was this weaping into bellhousing. So, off with transmission, clutch, flywheel, and DOH, no leak.......
Turns out it was weaping very slowly from the thermostat elbow under the plenum, dripping on to a web on the block, and being channeled backwards to the bellohousing. A new plastic elbow sorted it for £12, but not until i'd changed the clutch and DMF (£700!!) whilst i had the tranny off (had done 110k inc towing my rally car round the place a lot).
still, preventative maintenance is important ;-)
Turns out it was weaping very slowly from the thermostat elbow under the plenum, dripping on to a web on the block, and being channeled backwards to the bellohousing. A new plastic elbow sorted it for £12, but not until i'd changed the clutch and DMF (£700!!) whilst i had the tranny off (had done 110k inc towing my rally car round the place a lot).
still, preventative maintenance is important ;-)
205 was Turning over with weak/no spark...
Replaced dizzy,arm + cap,plugs,leads etc
Got it started after a bump 2 miles down the road with my brother following it dies again!
So we tow it back.
After some more diag turns out the coil had died apprently it's very uncommon for a coil to fail!
Lucky for us it didn't cost a thing as a friend has a 205 hes preparing for a fast road build
Replaced dizzy,arm + cap,plugs,leads etc
Got it started after a bump 2 miles down the road with my brother following it dies again!
So we tow it back.
After some more diag turns out the coil had died apprently it's very uncommon for a coil to fail!
Lucky for us it didn't cost a thing as a friend has a 205 hes preparing for a fast road build
1967 Land Rover (Series 2a) would slip its clutch once warmed up... having already broken down on the way back from buying it, yes, a good start.
Much shouting at never before removed bolts, with the whole front (wings, the lot) off the chassis, engine in the air on a hoist, another knuckle removed and a quick inspection of the clutch reveals that...
....it's new, complete with a tip-ex/white date written on the plate when it was fitted - a month before. Bugger.
Turns out adjusting the pedal position so the clutch master cylinder actually lets the fluid back up helps... who'd have though it?!
Much shouting at never before removed bolts, with the whole front (wings, the lot) off the chassis, engine in the air on a hoist, another knuckle removed and a quick inspection of the clutch reveals that...
....it's new, complete with a tip-ex/white date written on the plate when it was fitted - a month before. Bugger.
Turns out adjusting the pedal position so the clutch master cylinder actually lets the fluid back up helps... who'd have though it?!
Knocking sound from back of E36 328, researched on forums which suggested RTABs. I ignored this and replaced:
Top Shock mounts with upgraded mounts
Shocks with expensive Bilsteins (old ones weren't leaking)
Springs
Bearings
Even a hub!
Then i took it to a BMW specialist, who replaced the RTABs: No knocking.
There's a moral in there somewhere.
Top Shock mounts with upgraded mounts
Shocks with expensive Bilsteins (old ones weren't leaking)
Springs
Bearings
Even a hub!
Then i took it to a BMW specialist, who replaced the RTABs: No knocking.
There's a moral in there somewhere.
Edited by magicrichard on Saturday 8th January 14:34
Yep -
Changed the rear spring on my spitfire as the car was leaning to one side.
Didn't make much difference (worse really) so I changed the rear half shafts with those off a GT6 (someone suggested the half shafts may be an odd lengthed pair). The half shafts came with bigger hubs so I had to fit new brake drums. This buggered up the handbrake cable so I had to change that too..... and fit new radius arms. Still no difference so I fitted a spacer between the diff. and the spring. No difference so I fitted a bigger spacer... still no difference.
Next I changed the rear shocks.. no difference so I changed the front shocks and springs in case the front geometry was throwing out the back (again someone on an internet forum suggested this). No difference so I changed the front anti-roll bar... still no difference.
After much head scratching I discovered that the car sat level when going backwards and was only leaning when going forwards. Turns out I'd not fitted a couple of shims when I originally changed the spring - the wheel alignment was so far out that it was causing the suspension to push up one side of the car. Really became obvious when the car steered its back end off a rolling road.
The episode dragged out over about 18 months and must have cost me over £500 in parts and many weekends under the car.
...... at least I know how it all works now.
Changed the rear spring on my spitfire as the car was leaning to one side.
Didn't make much difference (worse really) so I changed the rear half shafts with those off a GT6 (someone suggested the half shafts may be an odd lengthed pair). The half shafts came with bigger hubs so I had to fit new brake drums. This buggered up the handbrake cable so I had to change that too..... and fit new radius arms. Still no difference so I fitted a spacer between the diff. and the spring. No difference so I fitted a bigger spacer... still no difference.
Next I changed the rear shocks.. no difference so I changed the front shocks and springs in case the front geometry was throwing out the back (again someone on an internet forum suggested this). No difference so I changed the front anti-roll bar... still no difference.
After much head scratching I discovered that the car sat level when going backwards and was only leaning when going forwards. Turns out I'd not fitted a couple of shims when I originally changed the spring - the wheel alignment was so far out that it was causing the suspension to push up one side of the car. Really became obvious when the car steered its back end off a rolling road.
The episode dragged out over about 18 months and must have cost me over £500 in parts and many weekends under the car.
...... at least I know how it all works now.
I had an Escort with a 1.6 CVH engine that misfired when cold. Did a full service including plugs, still the problem was there.
Everyone told me that water was leaking into the cylinders overnight and causing the misfire (it was loosing a bit of water to be fair). So I replaced the headgasket (the night before driving to Le Mans!) Set off the next morning and still the problem was there.
After a short time driving in France the misfire reappeared, which was odd because it was usually fine when warm. Whilst checking the plugs and leads, I accidentally pulled the end off the HT lead - fortunatly I had a spare.
Replacing this one HT lead fixed the problem for good.
Everyone told me that water was leaking into the cylinders overnight and causing the misfire (it was loosing a bit of water to be fair). So I replaced the headgasket (the night before driving to Le Mans!) Set off the next morning and still the problem was there.
After a short time driving in France the misfire reappeared, which was odd because it was usually fine when warm. Whilst checking the plugs and leads, I accidentally pulled the end off the HT lead - fortunatly I had a spare.
Replacing this one HT lead fixed the problem for good.
yup - my 18 month old Volvo S80 had developed an odd rattling noise from the dashboard at certain speeds, not always but enough to be irritating.
I tried all the usual things, pushing & thumping parts of the dash, emptying the glove box and various other storage containers - all to no avail.
So finally after 6months, into the dealer it went for the day under warranty - they removed & changed various parts of the dash and trim but couldn't fix it.
It was only 2 further months later that I noticed that the 'glass' in the extra rear view mirror attached to the windscreen for observing the children was loose and rattled when knocked...
One plastic mirror in the bin & rattle magically gone
I tried all the usual things, pushing & thumping parts of the dash, emptying the glove box and various other storage containers - all to no avail.
So finally after 6months, into the dealer it went for the day under warranty - they removed & changed various parts of the dash and trim but couldn't fix it.
It was only 2 further months later that I noticed that the 'glass' in the extra rear view mirror attached to the windscreen for observing the children was loose and rattled when knocked...
One plastic mirror in the bin & rattle magically gone
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